Electric switch



Aug. 26 ,A 1924. 1,506,563

J. R. CARLSON ELECTRIC SWITCH .4 TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANNES R. CARLSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE ARROW ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNEC- TICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHANNES R. CARL- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which.` the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches, and particularly to rotary snap switches. The object of my invention is to provide an improved switch blade carrier and assembly unit, which is per se not only of substantial and rugged structure, but also economical to manufacture, while the unit, as such, facilitates its assembly with elements of the switch mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a switch in which my invention is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a partial section through the switch blade unit alone on the spindle;

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a broken section on the line 4-4,

Fig". 2;

ig. 5 is a broken perspective of the carrier in condition for the reception of the switch blades; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the carrier is formed.

Inasmuch as the subject matter of the present applicat-ion is restricted to the switch blade carrier unit, the remaining details 0f th construction need not be described at length. It suilices to point out that in the form illustrated the invention is applied to a switch of the heater-circuit control type, comprising an insulating base 7 from which rises the switch spindle 8 actuated by the handle 9 and operating an escapement mechanism generally indicated by the reference 10. The spindle 8 drives th'e switch spring 11 through the plate 1,2, while the mechanism as a whole is enclosed in a switch cover 13 with insulating lining 14. Y

The switch blades 15., of which two are here shown, are mounted upon a carrier, which with its rigidly associated elements, forms the feature of the switch mechanism to which the invention particularly relates. rIhe body Of the carrier is Ishaped from the sheet metal blank illustrated in Fig. 6, comprising the four arms 16, 17, 18 an 19 radithe associated Serial No. 605,437.

ating from, and integral with, the central area 20. The arms 18 and 19 are cut away at 21 and 22 to accommodate the marginal areas of the corresponding portions of the arms 16 .and 17, when the several arms are bent along the lines 23 to form the rectangular body of the carrier. The extremities of the arms 18 and 19 are oppositelybent along the lines 24 to form offset foot pieces 25. The reduced extremities of the arms 16 and 17 are oi'set, similarly, in the same plane by bending along the lines 26 to form associated foot pieces 27. The carrier thus presents a rugged body element of rectangular cross section, the sides of which are held rigidly in interlocked relation by washer 28, the aperture in which is closely shaped to the rectangular contour of the carrier body so thatwhen forced down over the head of the carrier and against the foot pieces 25 and 27 it effectively retains the arms in fixed position. It will be Observed that the edges of the reduced portions of arms 18 and 19 forni abutments against which the marginal areas of arms 16 and 17 abut; and that the reduced areas of arms 16 and 17 have the same function with respect to the arms 18 and 19. Precision of relative position is thus assured.

A punching 29 in the central web of the blank affords a top bearing for the carrier on the switch spindle 8. Abottom bearing is aorded by the latch plate 30. As here shown, the latch plate is shaped to afford a pair of arcuate wings 31 and 32 adapted to cooperate with the detaining studs 33 of the escapement mechanism, which is of the type illustrated in the copending application of William H. Harrington, filed November 27th, 1922, Ser. No. 603,583, patented Au'- gust 28, 1923, under` No. 1,466,507, to which reference may be had for the details of this device. The latch plate is preferably teinpered to withstand the repeated impacts to which it is subjected by the operation of the switch. It is secured to the blade carrier by studs 34, which are forced up from the latch plate and shaped to afford a drive fit in holes 35 and 36 in the Offset foot pieces 25 of the carrier.

The switch blades 15 are provided with central rectangular apertures generally corresponding in shape to the outline Of the body of the carrier, but of sufficiently greater size to accommodate interposed insulation tangular aperture, whichA snugly lits the body of the carrier, so that the "carrier and switch blade move therewith. In order to unite the several parts into a rigid assembly unit, the head 20 of the carrier is staked at 42 over the driving plate.

The construction is rugged and strong, while at the same time it is simple to manufacture and provides an assembly unit which may be conveniently handled and positioned upon the switch spring by the operative during the assembl o the switch. The full spring value of t e switch blades is obtained since they are restrained only by the relatively narrow spacin which overlie the central We portions of the blades. The exact spacing and alignment of the blades is permanently assured by the staking over of the head of the carrier, which unites the parts into a rigid column. The interior of the carrier forms a reservoir 43 for the reception of lubricant, which is thus constantly supplied to lthe spindle passing therethrough. The connection to the escapement plate is conveniently effected through the offset foot pieces of the blade carrier. Just what form this connection takes or what type of escapement is employed, is immaterial. Of course washersA 39 lthe particular construction of escapement plate will vary with the diiierent types of escapement with which the blade carrier is used. Y

Various modifications in details of proportion and structure will readily occur to those skilled in this art, without departing from what I claim as my invention.

I claim- 1. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier comprising a top web apertured to afford a spindle bearing and having integral arms offset therefrom to form a polygonal carrier body, certain of said arms having outwardly oi'set foot pieces, in combination with a bottom plate apertured to afford a spindle bearing and operatively connected to said oi'set foot ieces.

2. In an electric switc a switch blade carrier comprising a top web apertured to afford a spindle bearing and having integral arms oiset therefrom to form a polygonal carrier body, certain of said arms having outwardly offset foot pieces, in combination with a bottom plate apertured to afford a spindle bearing and'operatively connected to said odset foot pieces, said bottom plate being shaped to cooperate with the detaining latches of an escapement mechanism.

3. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier, comprising a poly onal body having an outwardy extending oot, switch blade means tting upon and surrounding said carrier body, a top plate overlying said switch blade means and having a driving engagement with thev carrier body, together with means rigidly securing said top plate in position on said carrier.

4. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier, comprising atop web apertured vto aiiord a spindle bearing and having integral arms oiset therefrom to form a polygonal carrier body, certain of said arms having outwardly offset foot pieces, in combination' with a bottom plate apertured to aiiord a spindle bearing and operatively connected to said offset foot-pieces, said bottom plate being shaped to cooperate with the detaining latches of an escapement mechanism, said top plate having means for engaging a driving spring.

5. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier, comprising a polygonal body having an outwardly extending foot, switch blade means fitting upon and surrounding said carrier body, a top plate overlying sai switch blade means and havin a driving engagement with the carrier bo y, together with means rigidly securing said top plate in position on said carrier, and means for insulating said switch blade means from thev carrier and top plate.

6. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier comprising a sheet metal body hav` ing offset and apertured foot pieces, in combination with a tempered escapement plate underlying said foot pieces and having studs entering the apertures in the foot pieces of the carrier body to aord an operative vconnection between the parts.

7. In an electric switch, a switch blade carrier comprising a sheet metal body having oiiset and apertured foot pieces, in combination with a tempered escapement plate underlying said foot pieces and having lntegral studs entering with a drive it the aperture in the foot pieces of the carrier body.

8. n an electric switch, a switch blade carrier comprising a sheet metal web having intergral legs oset to form a polygonal body element of the carrier and outwardly extendingfoot pieces, together with a holdin washer having an aperture shaped to sald polygonal body and passed down over said legs and against the foot pieces to hold said legs in definite relation to each other.

In an electric switch, a switch blade ca` rier comprising a sheet metal web havnge/@dese ing ihtei'grei iegs odset @o form e polygonal body dement of the ceii'ier end outwardly amending foot pieces, together with e holding Washer havin en aperture shaped to sald poiygonei body and passed down oyeir1 seid legs and againsf @he 'foot pieoes to heid seid legs in definite :reddition tto eech @their9 seid legs being meigihehy Recessed fio imi/erit and aoid mowed ehuments )limiting their displacement toward the exis ofc the oaiiieix.

10. dh en eieehrie switch, e switch hiede eemie eompi'isihg e sheefrJ mehdi weh having integiai iegs odse io 'form e poiygomei body eiemeh o the Camiel", and oummfdiy oset zoo; pieces, e Wesiheia tpassed oye-3i' he body of eeii'iei" and Testing egeihsf seid foot pieces ho heid she sides of the body dispiecemehb, swieh Mede means passed feeiy onto the eefie hedy9 isop be oyeiyihg die switeh hiede meehs9 iop weh she @amies epee-famed @o aafoid o heeihg heilig die over seid @op plate to secure the parts rigidly ogether.

1i. ihn en electric switch, e switch hiede oai-rief compiising a sheeJ metal weh having inhegrai legs odset to form e polygonal body eiemeht of the omrier, and outwazdiy odset Jfoot pieces, e Weshei passed over the hody of the oei'iiei' and resting against seid oot pieces to heid the sides of he body against dispieoemehfg, swiioh hiade means passed ieeiy onto the eender hody, atop plete oyeidying nhe switch hiede mowed the togo web oi "ehe eerriei" heim@ epei'fiured he ehoid e spindle hearing and heling s'ahed oyei seid hop plate feo seome "che peits ifigidiy ogeiher? togethei wih en escopepiae uwideliyihg cherie? :oot pieces and @perenT ity engaged "herewih, said eseepemem piede spe'med to effoid e hofom homing foi 4@he eeiie'i emit 'o n' have f sa 

